We'll Start The Fires
by RoseBelikov'at'Nyx.Vamp
Summary: My first published Kurtofsky, just something that popped into my head and repeatedly screamed to be written down. A little OOC, set about a month after Prom Queen w/o later episodes. Dave's realised something and he wants Kurt's help. Enjoy hopefully x
1. Chapter 1

**Well hello! This is the first of what i hope to be many forays into the wonderful world of Kurtofsky-ness, and it was just a random idea that hit me over the head and demanded that i wrote it. So, here goes, my first published Kurtofsky...**

**Hope you like it :)**

**Over and out x**

**Oh, and if i owned Glee, Kurt would be getting some from Karofsky, Sam or Puck. Just sayin'...**

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><p>Even though Dave Karofsky had been at the helm of the Bully Whips for about a month, and had become something of an aqaintance over that time, as well as having apologised tearfully to Kurt just before prom, when someone who had terrorised you for the previous two years drags you into a bathroom and quickly locks the door you don't really stop to think that they're a changed person.<p>

"Get the hell off me you neanderthal!"

Dave turned to the shrill voice, confused and surprised by Kurt's reaction. He had a halfway formulated plan of what he wanted to achieve and it was tearing him up inside just to have got to the point where he had resolved to ask Kurt for help. So when his good intentions suddenly blew up in his face as Kurt's wide and terrified eyes looked back at him, all he could do was splutter.

"I wasn't... you weren't... it's... it's not..." He managed to somehow choke out before he had the prescence of mind to stop himself from scaring Kurt further.

Kurt was just realising that instead of menace Karofsky had a shocked, almost hurt expression on his face, his incoherent babble leading to the comprehension that he might have been a fraction off with his supposition of motive.

Trying to calm down his racing heart, he took a step back towards the footballer after having stumbled backwards only moments earlier.

"Karofsky, uh... What did you want?" He asked almost tentatively, seeing that the larger boy had the first sparkling of unshed tears in his hazel eyes.

Karofsky wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans, suddenly feeling extremely nervous and anxious. He had spent weeks building up to this decision and had thought he was past it, but one sentence from Kurt and it was all back in full force, all his trepidation swimming around in his mind like a shark.

He took a deep breath and said "Sorry for scaring you Kurt. I just... didn't know how else to get to talk to you."

As Kurt just looked at him with curiosity and smiled a tiny bit, he got the hint and carried on.

"I've made a decision. I don't know how I'm going to face everything, and I know this won't be easy, but i... I can't deal with it any more. The pseudo relationship with Santana, the pretense, trying to join in conversations about which Cheerio was the hottest and more recently ones about how lucky I was to be fucking Santana. It's like i can't see which way is up any more, you know? I thought I could manage, get out, go to college with people I didn't know and make a change then. But I'm just suffocating." He locked eyes with Kurt, silently willing him to understand what he was saying, what he wanted.

Kurt blinked once, twice, a few times, as if to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. He took another step towards Karofsky and reached out an arm, amazed when it made contact with the jock's arm without him flinching. He kept the eye contact that felt like daggers were piercing him and just angled his eyes upwards more, suddenly aware of how much bigger the other boy was. Yes, he'd always known he was physically intimidating, but Kurt was suddenly in close contact with him and the height difference was dawning on him.

_In the dark it's getting hard to breathe  
>Suffocating, somethi<em>_ng's wrong  
>I feel so incomplete<em>

He felt Kurt's hand on his arm and he could see the brunette's small, slender fingers curving almost protectively over his forearm as if they belonged there. Shaking rebellious thoughts like that from his head, he kept his cool and didn't wince at the touch, even though he hadn't ever thought the day would come where Kurt would touch him, even in a friendly way, anywhere.

He had come to his realisation slowly over the past couple of weeks, sure, but he hadn't ever really thought about what it would mean in the long term. Don't get him wrong, he knew just exactly what he was letting himself in for in the homophobic town of Lima, Ohio, he had been one of those people only a few months before. But he hadn't given actually being gay, being out and having a... a boyfriend any consideration at all. Possibly because he was still convincing himself he could actually do it, more probably because he couldn't, at that moment, see any future for himself romantically because he was still in love with the perfect boy in front of him.

Kurt let the second lot of shock wash over him uninterrupted for a few seconds as he tried to assimilate the words he had just heard with the boy stood in front of him. Dave Kaforsky had just said that he wanted to...

"Did you just say you wanted to come out?"

Okay, he hadn't meant to blurt it like that, because it startled Karofsky out of his trance and made him jump ever so slightly, but enough to knock Kurt's hand out of place on his arm. He was still reeling from the revelation that the boy who had bullied him for so long, had stolen his first kiss and then threatened to kill him, then ended up protecting him and gradually become less of an enemy, but had refused to come out at prom, was making such a hard, life changing decision.

Karofsky chuckled dryly at his outburst, saying "Yeah, I think I did Fancy. It's not like I've had some life-affirming epiphany in the last week or anything, but I just... I can't deal with the lies any more. In the closet, in the dark, it gets so hard to even breathe sometimes, to even function. And the more I pretend, the more I try to convince the whole world that I'm something I'm not, it's like a bit of me just gets ripped away, isn't there any more. I feel so incomplete, like I'm living a half life. You're really the only person I know who knows what that's like Kurt."

He was astounded by Karofsky's words. He had struggled himself with admitting it out loud, coming out, but his father had already known, and in the end most people had assumed anyway. He was the kind of person who knew that the things he did and the clothes he wore would mark him out, and he'd never really felt the crushing pressure that it was obvious the slightly shaking boy in front of him did. But he had felt some pressure alright, and he knew exactly what Karofsky was worried about.

"You're right. I do know. I can't imagine exactly what you're going through, but I know enough. And that means that I know just how much this will cost you, and just how much it's taken for you to make this decision. But Dave," he shot a surprised glance Kurt's way when he heard his first name, "how are you planning on, well... coming out?"

Kurt had hit the snag. The one flaw in his plan really, because althought he was certain about his path, for better or (probably) worse, he really wasn't sure how to go about it. It wasn't like he was the kind of person that comandeered the PA system and announced it to the whole school, but he couldn't just tell one person or whatever, because if it was one of his football buddies, hell, anyone, they'd probably just think he was joking.

He scratched the back of his neck and said "I, uh, didn't really think that far. I mean, you're just supposed to tell people right?"

Kurt had to stop his eyes from follwing the curve of Dave's arm up as it caused his t-shirt to rise up and expose a sliver of skin, instead closing tham and trying not to laugh as he shook his head at the footballer's lack of thought.

"Well that is the general idea, yes. But at a school like this, as a person such as youself, if you just wandered up to someone and said 'Hey, I'm gay by the way' I don't think they'd take you very seriously." He watched one of Dave's eyebrows rise up as he spoke and wondered why.

Dave had already realised that on his own, but he let Kurt carry on talking his way though their - his - problem without saying anything.

"So you're going to have to do something that will get the attention of more than one person."

"Well as much as I'd love to go announcing it over the tannoy system, I don't think that's a practical idea, and I don't fancy getting past Coach Sylvester when she's doing her daily rant." Dave said, pushing himself up to sit beside one of the sinks as he tried to think of what would get everyone's attention.

_They stop and stare  
>And try to drag us down<em>

Kurt walked over and hesitantly sat down next to him, crossing his legs at the ankle and swinging them slightly. He still couldn't believe that Dave was going to come out, especially after him saying he couldn't at Prom only weeks before. All because he had known that with everyone there even everyone dancing and enjoying themselves, they would instinctively stop and stare at something like two guys like themselves, who had been enemies for so long, dancing together at Prom.

"No, I don't think I do either. But I think you might have to make a spectacle. Come out with a bang. Because you're intent on doing this, and they will try to drag you down anyway, so you might as well make the transition as short as possible. I imagine people walking up to you all day and asking if you've suddenly become a faggot will be a bit drawn out." He said, his hatred for that insult showing through in his words as he spat them out.

Dave had noticed the bitterness, that harshness, in Kurt's words, and he also knew that he was the cause of them, or at least partly. He had, not so long ago, been one of the people that threw insults like 'fag' of 'homo' or 'fairy' at Kurt, every one biting at himself just as much as the boy who was proud, brave and thouroughly undeserving of such taunts.

He looked over at Kurt and nodded, saying "Yeah, I can't imagine that being all too pleasant. But hey, I'm not the ones with big ideas here. Bully Whips was all Santana, and that was part of her plan to get Brittany, and anything before that I don't think I was ever really the brains behind the operation. I'm more the brawn, remember?" His words showed his own bitterness as he remembered the words Kurt himself had flung across the empty locker room at him before the fateful moment when he had finally lost his control and had given in to temptation, meshing his lips with Kurt's.

Kurt looked up apologetically at Dave when he realised the meaning behind the words, but he just ended up with a hand waved at him, which he assumed was Dave saying it was no big deal. He knew it was, but they had more pressing matters to deal with really.

_Light the fuse  
>Flip the switch<br>Baby, hold your ground_

"Okay, well you've got to flip that switch, and do it fast, like a band-aid, yes? Because once the fuse is lit there's no putting it out, you can't get a lid on it again after this. So are you sure you're sure? Really sure that this is what you want?" He implored, searching Dave's face for any signs of doubt, of regret.

He found only nerves, overshadowed by a desire to, as he was sure Dave was thinking, get things over with.

Dave nodded shaply and said "I'm sure. More than I've probably ever been about anything. Like I said before, I can't handle keeping it a secret any more."

"Okay, well I suggest you buckle your seatbelt and hold your ground, because there's no going back. After today you will still be Dave Karofsky, sure, but you will also be gay. And people will see you as gay, rather than someone with a name."

He was still formulating a plan in his head about just how exactly the larger boy could come out publicly, and he had pretty much all of it planned out, from where to station his friends if someone reacted badly (more than likely) to where in the building most kids would be and at what times. It was just the intrinsic details, like what the method of reveal should be, that he was a little hazy on. He was tempted to call Blaine and ask him his opinion, but somehow after their last confrontation he didn't think Blaine and Dave mixed well. In retrospect he did think that Blaine's plan after the kiss had probably been pretty rubbish, and he hadn't really been thinking about Dave's feelings. So he kept his phone in his pocket and tried to think of something on his own.

_You and me  
>They wanna break us<br>Let's shake it up  
>Cause they will never take us<em>

Considering Kurt's words, he acknowledged just how right Kurt was. Everyone at McKinley, from freshmen up to seniors, knew who Kurt was. He was the gay kid. But he doubted half of them could name him. And as much as it scared him that he was about to become a label, something that would make probably most of his friends hate him, and probably his parents too, he couldn't back down now.

"Kurt, you and me, I don't care if Sue Sylvester walks right up and sticks 'Gay Kid 1' and 'Gay Kid 2' labels on us. They, hell, it used to be me, just want to break you down, wear you out, kill your spirit. Why do you think we kept comeing back at you. For Azimio and the rest of them they saw it as a challenge. Because you would never break, and it annoyed them so much. And I admired you so much for that." He was looking down again, desperately interested in his fingernails and not at all in the expression on Kurt Hummel's face.

"Thank you."

It was so quiet that he nearly didn't hear it, but when he looked up again he could see the gratitude in Kurt's eyes.

As Dave sat and mulled over his thoughts, Kurt was contemplating something which he knew was completely mad, and possible dangerous, and definitely not anything Dave would even consider. But...

"Dave? There is something... That will be simple and obvious and no one will be unsure about anything." He started nervously, wondering why he was even broachng the subject. He didn't know why he was even thinking it, not so long ago he would have run cussing from the whole idea and he couldn't see how that much had changed.

Dave leaned forward curiously, wondering what on earth Kurt would be referring to that could tick all those boxes. He had a feeling Kurt was wary of suggesting it and it piqued his curiosity even more wanting to know.

"What?"

"...Kiss me."

He thought his eyes might actually be popping out of his skull as he tried to comprehend what Kurt had said.

"You _want_ me to kiss you?"

Kurt bit his lip nervously, making Dave want to kiss him all the more, which he felt really wasn't fair, and then sighed loudly, seeming to resign himself to something.

"Yes. It's simple and obvious."

Kurt chewed on a fingernail while he waited for Dave's response. He was beginning to regret even ever thinking of such a notion, he was sure that Dave was thinking of ways to have him killed, or put in a mental asylum, or-

"Kurt, you really are weird sometimes." He laughed shakily, pushing himself off the row of sinks and starting to pace up and down the locked bathroom.

Kurt followed his progress with his eyes as the footballer got faster and faster, eventually stopping dead centre and turning to Kurt, a pained expression on his face.

"What about that Blair guy you're always with?" He asked, eyebrows pushing together as he said it.

Kurt started as he realised that he hadn't even given Blaine a thought. He had been so intent on finding a way for Dave to come out that it had never once crossed his mind that he would be cheating on his boyfriend if they went through with his plan. But still, it was only helping out an aquaintance, right?

"It's Blaine. And... He'll understand. It's not as if it's cheating, really, just... just helping an aquaint- a _friend_ out. I'm sure he'd do the same thing." Kurt said, raising his chin and staring at Dave defiantly, as if daring him to contradict him.

He really wished that Kurt would stop doing that face, the confident, 'bitch please' one, because it made him look so beautiful it hurt. And here he was asking him to kiss him. Was he insane. The last time Dave had tried that it had resulted in him being pushed harshly away and Kurt looking terrified. The beautiful singer obviously wasn't thinking it all the way through.

"Yeah, I'm sure. But Kurt, why the hell do you want to? Sorry for bringing it up, but you didn't seem so enthused last time I kissed you." He cringed as Kurt's eyes flashed with something he couldn't distinguish.

Kurt flinched automatically at the reminder, but regained his compusure enough to say "Well last time it was rather unexpected. You were the guy who'd been shoving me into lockers for the past semester, and suddenly there you were kissing me, it was a bit of a shock. Now you're the guy who's been stopping me getting shoved into lockers for the past month and if I know it's coming it won't be a shock. I want to help, and if this is how I can help then I will gladly."

He knew as soon as he'd said it that it was completely true. He wanted to help in any way he could, and if kissing him in a hallway helped him come out and soothe the hurt he was obviously feeling then he was glad to do it.

"Okay."

One word and everything around him seemed to get imfitesimally brighter. He was finally getting all the crap off his chest that he'd been carrying around for who the hell knows how long, and Kurt Hummel was offerng to kiss him. Sure, it wasn't really anything but platonic, but the sheer fact that he was offering made Dave's heart perk up a little bit. He was going to do that locker room kiss over again and this time it would be a proper kiss. An apology of sorts.

_Set off all the fires  
>Set off your alarms<br>I don't care what they s__ay  
>Cause they don't who we are <em>

"Okay, you've got yourself a deal. But Kurt, are you sure it'll work?"

Kurt just smirked and gestured to the locked door and the bustling corridor outside.

"Dave, it'll spread around the school like wildfire. You put that match to the fuel and boom, the gossips'll have a field day. I'm betting they take pictures. You don't have anything to worry about. At least, not until people start to react." He pulled an apologetic face.

He smiled sadly at Kurt and said "I have a feeling that won't be pretty. But I've made my decision, I'm gonna go through with it."

As Kurt smiled slightly hesitantly back at him and then ran a hand through his normally perfectly styled hair he stared and nearly missed his words.

"Okay, well you need to do it somewhere very busy, probably in a main corridor before or after lunch. You'll have to give me a signal though or something, because I'll have to get a little way away from my friends. They love me, but the downside is that they're very protective."

Dave didn't really know what to say to that. His friends would back him up in a fight, sure, but he didn't think any of them loved him. In fact, he'd hazard a guess just bringing up the word would have them running for the metaphorical hills screaming 'faggot'. They were lovely people. Note the sarcasm.

"Uh, well how will I know where you'll be?"

"I don't know, I'll be where I always am. Set your alarm, pick a time and place, it's your decision remember?" He said, trying to be gentle but knowing that Dave had to have known some semblence of his schedule to have been right where he was so often when he was bullying him.

Wincing, Dave said "Oh, yeah, I guess. Well, I suppose you're right, before or after lunch seems best. Just watch out for me walking towards you, you should be able to tell. I'll make eye contact or something."

"Good. I will, and Dave?"

"Yeah?" He asked, wondering what he could possibly be unsure about asking, since they'd all but agreed to make out in the hallway.

Kurt looked at the unsure, nervous boy standing across the room from him and wondered if he ever saw the real David Karofsky. Sure, he'd otten a good luck at the better side of the boy in the past few weeks, but nothing like this. He had always seemed so against coming out.

"I don't think we ever knew you at all did we? You think I'm brave, but what you're going to do takes courage just as much as anything I do." He took a deep breath and continued "So you're going to go out there, and psych yourself up, and not give a fuck what they say about you, or us, because honestly I couldn't really care less, and you shouldn't either. Because when all they see is 'Gay' they don't know us at all. And I don't want to know them."

All he could do was stare. Seemed that he hadn't quite ever known Kurt before either.

"Look, I have no idea why you're doing this, and even less why you suggested it in the first place, but thanks. For everything. Look, I'll... I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

He got up and strode to the locked door without looking back, not knowing what he would do if he did. Taking a deep breath he stepped into the outside corridor and tried to look as if he hadn't just arranged with his former enemy to probably ruin his life for the next couple of years.

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><p>He was sat at his back desk like normal in Spanish with Mercedes and Tina, having a debate about whether Jimmy Choos or Manolo Blahniks were the best, when he remembered that he'd told Dave he'd get them out the way. Or at least warn them. It would be enough with everyone else heckling without his own friends trying to pull them apart.<p>

"'Cedes, Tina, I have a confession to make."

They both turned and looked at him with identical looks of concern and confusion.

"Boo, whatever it is we won't judge you."

He highly doubted she would still hold that opinion afterwards. But still, she needed to not be having a bitch fit at Dave while he was trying to help him.

Steeling himself, he turned to look at them both fully, saying "At lunch, either before or after, there may be an... altercation in the hallway conderning Mr. Karofsky and myself. I wanted you to know it was planned. So, if you would be so kind as to not try and kill him, I would be grateful."

Mercedes was the first to react.

"White boy you'd better not be letting him push you around just to get back to the top!" She threatened, pointing a finger in his face and looking pretty menacing herself.

At the anguished look on Tina's face it was all he could do not to laugh, but when Mercedes had threatened him with the complete wrong idea he had to. They looked at him like he was crazy as he sat there trying to control his giggles as Mr. Shue looked over at them sternly.

Reovering, he adressed them both when he said "Honestly, it's nothing like that. In fact, it's probably the complete opposite. And I suggested it. So your concerns are completely unfounded, though I appreciate the sentiment."

When neither of them looked like they knew what he was talking about he just patted their arms and shook his head, turning back to his work. They'd know by the end of lunch anyway.

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><p>Dave was sitting through what was possibly the most boring history lesson he'd ever been in and he was paying approximately no attention to the teacher.<p>

He was trying to control the piercing, nagging doubts that were stealing into his mind as he sat next to Azimio and tried to calm down the part of his mind that was screaming at him to run and never look back, that he was making the worst decision of his life.

He had been telling Kurt the truth when he said he knew what he was getting himself in for. He had been one of those guys who used the word fag as a derogatory term for pretty much anything they hated, had made Kurt's life miserable, or so they'd thought, and he knew it would probably be ten times worse. He was a jock, on the football team, one of the guys. They would probably kick him off the team.

But he had to get Azimio out the picture somehow. Otherwise he was pretty sure the other guy would be throwing the first punch.

"Hey dude, what're you doing at lunch?"

Innocuous enough question.

"I dunno man, I was gonna maybe get in some football practice, Coach has been getting' on my back lately about it." Azimio shrugged, trying to concentrate again on the notes in front of him.

Well, it was a good start, but he needed to make sure that he stayed out of the way.

"I'd love to join you but Santana's insisting on corridor patrol," he rolled his eyes while Azimio smirked, "And you know I can't say no to her."

"You're so whipped man. But you get the hottest piece of ass at the school out of it, so I guess I'll let it slide this time dude." His friend grinned and punched him on the shoulder.

When they finished the lesson and packed up it was the start of lunch, and he had told Kurt before or after. But he _really_ didn't want to do it with Azimio standing right next to him.

He walked towards the field and spotted Kurt on the way there, leaning against his locker and laughing with his two friends, the goth girl and the black chick Azimio was always eyeing up. The brunette looked up at him and cocked his head, moving to push off his locker and walk towards them, but he shook his head, just a tiny bit. It would have to be after lunch when he wasn't being escorted by six feet of pure homophobia.

* * *

><p>He had been surprised to see Dave approach him in the corridor with Azimio on his right shoulder but had pushed off his locker and away from the girls anyway, hoping it would be peaceful. Werll, as peaceful as possible. But then the other boy shook his head ever so slightly and carried on down the corridor without a word. Mercedes and Tina were looking after him confused, unable to work out what had just happened.<p>

"Kurt, did anything actually happen then or am I imagining things?"

Ke turned back to his best friends and smiled, rolling his eyes.

"No, nothing happened. I can assure you, when it happens you will definitely know about it. But he said before _or_ after lunch, I guess he wanted to get rid of Azimio first." He said, hoping that he was right. But he couldn't fault Dave if he backed out. It was a very hard decision to make.

After lunch he was standing against the same locker with Tina, trying to style Mercedes' hair in the little mirror in his locker, when he saw Dave approach, alone.

_All their fears  
>Watch 'em all come tru<em>_e  
>All their words<br>A world of hurt  
>Can't tell us what to do <em>

He had seen his chance and he was going to grab it. The corridor was full to bursting but the little alcove where Kurt was chatting to his friends had a somewhat clear space around it, although he sighed inside when he realised why.

He strode over to them at a steady pace, trying to control the nerves that were eating away at his insides. He wanted to do it, couldn't live in the dark any more, but he was still nervous.

As Kurt watched him approach he could see the fear in his eyes. He smiled at the footballer to show he was still sure about his decision and this time really did walk out from his locker and into Dave's path. He could sense Mercedes' eyes boring into his back and hoped that she would keep to her word and let whatever happened happen.

Controlling the butterflies in his own stomach at the sight of Dave, he raised one eyebrow haughtily but jokingly.

"Sure you want to do this?"

Dave closed his eyes, knowing he would never forgive himself if he gave up this chance. He breathed in deeply and then opened them again, staring right at Kurt.

Kurt could see the change that had come over Dave as he closed and opened his eyes. Before they had held nerves, anxiety, and what looked like guilt. When they snapped back open they showed nothing but determination.

"No, but I don't care any more."

_Let's blind their eyes  
>And<em>_ wave goodbye  
>We'll start the fire<em>

And with that he reached out an cupped Kurt's face, feeling the smooth skin under tha palm of his hand again and trying not to think of the last time he had done. On arm braced against the locker behind Kurt's head, he leant in and pressed his lips over the perfect, soft pink ones he had been dreaming of for the past two months. The small body pressed against his had stilled at first, but now he could feel Kurt responding and it went straight to his head, like there were very cliché fireworks exploding or other romantic crap.

Feeling a very solid body press him up agains the locker as his lips were claimed by Dave Karofsky was undeniably nice. He had stopped, stunned at first that he was actually kissing Karofsky, but then let himself relax into the kiss, his lips moving without having to be directed as his hand somehow found its self wrapped around Dave's waist, pulling him closer.

He couldn't hear what was going on behind them, didn't care, just wanted to carry on kissing Dave until he ran out of air. He knew the bushfires of gossip would be going crazy, could almost hear the clicking of cameras somewhere in his kiss muddled brain, but he found that he wasn't actaully that bothered. He was feeling the butterflies again but this time they were a pleasant, warming feeling. And he didn't care to stop and analyse what it meant.

Dave was ecstatic. He knew it was a one time deal, nothing was meant by it, but he was kissing Kurt, and nothing that happened afterwards could take that away. He kissed deeper, unthinkingly pressing his tongue to the seam of Kurt's mouth, and was shocked when the soprano's lips parted easily, allowing him to slip his tongue inside, tangling with Kurt's.

It made him think, they could do what they wanted afterwards.

He had somehow got everything he wanted.

_Set off all the fires  
>Set off your alarms<br>They can give us all they got  
>You're all I want<em>_  
><em>

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><p><strong>AN: So, there you go! Yes, there was a random Harry Potter reference in there because i'm a HP geek, and the song was 'Set Off' by Hey Monday.**

**Hope you all liked it, i thought it would just be a one-shot but i'm leaving it open, so if you feel i should continue then please, let me know :) Penny for your thoughts? x**


	2. Chapter 2

**My god, the response to the last chapter was phenominal, you Kurtofsky pirates really know how to make a girl feel good! More reviews for a chapter than i've ever got on my other stories, so bonus points for that :) Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed and i so hope you like the next part.**

**Enjoy,**

**Over and out x**

* * *

><p>He kinda really wished he could have stayed in the moment, kissing Kurt like nothing was wrong for most, if not all, of eternity. But it seemed like fate didn't really want that. Sure, he had finally got what he wanted. And Kurt was currently drawing his hands slowly through his short, curly hair and making it really <em>really<em> hard to forget that the petite soprano had a boyfriend. But after a while it was like the ringing in his ears stopped, and the buzzing in the background slowly faded back in. Which was when he realised that yes, he was in fact frenching Kurt Hummel in the main corridor of McKinley High School, and there were people there. And he could hear them.

Oh shit.

He could hear the voices in the background now and although there was someone telling someone else how cute it was, the most significant noise was the clicking of cameras on phones as people took photographic evidence. Well damn, if he'd ever wanted to keep it from his parents he'd be dead. He just hoped he got to them before the photos did. But he was positive some of the football guys had his dad's number in case of emergencies or something. So, he reasoned, there wasn't much chance of him getting home without his parents knowing about it, but at least then he wouldn't have to have the extremely awkward conversation. He could just walk in, probably be told that he was a freak of nature, and pack a bag.

Kurt was still running his hands through Dave's hair when he realised what he was doing. He had been so into the kiss that he hadn't even stopped to think that he had a boyfriend, and that he was enthusiasticly kissing someone who _wasn't_ said boyfriend. But he couldn't seem to stop what he was doing, and instead he just caught Dave's bottom lip between his teeth and pulled as he leaned back, causing the jock to lean even harder against him, up against the locker, because he followed him back to continue the kiss.

It was when Mercedes' voice cut through the inconsequential background noise that he really thought about what he was doing.

"Oh my god! Kurt! What the...!"

He registered that she seemed shocked and angry, and he could tell from the almost wistful tone in her voice that she was itching to disobey his earlier request and forcibly push them apart, but he was pleased that she didn't. He knew they were going to get unwanted attention of that nature from the jocks, and most of the rest of the population of McKinley, so he didn't need it off her and Tina.

But just as he was contemplating ending the kiss so he could try and calm them down, he heard it. The slamming noise that he normally only heard when he was being locker checked by neanderthal meat heads intent on making his back black and blue for the rest of his life. And by the sound of it, they were getting closer. As he pulled back to try and warn Dave, his eyes flickered open and he saw three hulking figures suddenly emerge through what he realised was quite a crowd, and make a beeline for himself and Dave.

Dave himself had heard the noise, and realised what was probably going to happen, so when he opened his eyes and his hazel ones met Kurt's adorable blue ones, he could see the fear in them just as much as he could see the reflection of three of his fellow jocks in the clear abyss. As well as the shadow that fell across the locker he was currently pressing Kurt up against.

He breathed "Don't-" against Kurt's mouth and then he was being ferociously slammed into the very same locker he had been facing, pinned up against it by Sanderson, the biggest of the three, while Jeremy (with a last name like Chumler Dave wouldn't want to be called by it either) and Anslow were stood pressed right up against his back, glaring at Dave with narrowed eyes as his breath was slowly cut off anf his throat constricted by the arm pressed against it.

"What the actual _fuck_ Karofsky? You gone all fag on us? The hell? I thought we were safe from homo's pervin' when he," The guy jerked his head back towards Kurt, who he could see was stood in between Mercedes and Tina, the girls restraining him as he tried to get himself free and towards Dave, "left, and now he's back and we get to find out that you've been secretly sneaking peeks at our junk when we were changing for football all these years! You're sick dude, what the fuck's wrong with you?"

He could actually see the spit flying from his mouth, and he was keeping surprisingly calm until the moment when he noticed the bits of whatever food he had had for lunch caught in the jock's teeth. It was then that he couldn't contain himself, and started laughing in the jock's face, completely breaking down in hysterics even more as he saw the furious expression on Sanderson's face, before he closed his eyes completely and prepared for the blow that he knew was going to land on his cheek in just a few seconds.

Kurt was furious at Mercedes and Tina for holding him back, and he was yelling at them to let him go, scratching at their arms as he saw one of the jocks get right up in Dave's face and then start badmouthing him into the bargain. He wasn't stupid, and he'd seen the way he tilted his head sharply in his direction while he was shouting at Dave. If it had just been about him then he wouldn't have cared at all, but the fact that they were using him to taunt the bigger boy made him want to throw things, and he wasn't a violent person at all.

At least, he didn't think he was until he saw Dave tilt his head back, eyes squeezed closed even though he was still laughing manically, and the jock pinning him to the wall raise his other fist and bring it swinging in towards Dave's jaw, slamming into it with so much force that Dave's head smacked back and met with the locker at a velocity that caused a dint in it. But it was like something inside him snapped. He had spent the last month getting to know and like Dave Karofsky, and here he was doing one of the bravest things he would probably ever do in his life, and there was someone slamming their fist into his jaw because of it.

Dave had known it was coming, but he hadn't quite remembered just how painful it was when someone punched you. Sure, he'd been in a few fights in his time in high school, but normally they weren't quite so serious, and whoever his opponent was, their punches weren't as hard or as fast as the one that had just skyrocketed into his face, sending his head reeling the few inches back into the locker and making him see stars.

He felt like his skull was splitting apart from the pain, and the white heat behind his eyes still had to dissipate as he strugled against his captor's grasp, but he was putting up a pretty good fight, he thought, until the two guys who had, up to that point, just been watching, waded in to hold him back up against the cold, harsh metal of the lockers. His head hitting them again a second sime from the shove, he slammed his eyes shut and he hoped that they would either get bored or knock him out quickly and stop the pain.

Kurt, watching as the three of them pinned Dave, finally managed to break free from the girls' grasp and sprinted towards them, unsure what he could possibly do but knowing that he had to help in sone way, had to protect Dave from what he had been dealing with for years. As he grabbed the strap of his messenger bag, figuring that he could use it to swing at their heads if nothing else worked, he saw another shadow from the corner of his eye. He disregarded it on his mission to get to Dave, though, knowing that he needed to help him out.

So he was shocked when the shadow pushed past him and got there before him.

It slammed into the three jocks at alarming speed and pulled the one hitting Dave off him without a second glance, throwing Sanderson onto the floor as it continued to try and detatch the other two.

It took Kurt a few seconds to realise that it, the shadow, was Azimio Adams.

Dave had expected to be slammed into the lockers at least another couple of times, or maybe thrown to the sharks in the middle of the corridor before they all took a swing at him. But as he prepared for the second punch he felt the weight and the smell of unwashed jock suddenly lifted off him, and heard the smack of someone hitting the linoleum floor hard.

He opened his eyes again and had to do a double take as he saw that Azimio, the person he had tried to get out of the way so that he wouldn't be around to witness their kiss, was taking on his agressors with a look of fire in his eyes that Dave didn't see often, mostly when Az was on the football pitch. That and the one time he had made a speetch in english class about his heratige and racism and respect. The one he hadn't actually listened to every word of, but that Aretha had clapped so hard he would've sworn it had to hurt her hands.

But he had no real time to process that fact as the other two were being torn away from him, even as Sanderson tried to get up of the floor where he had been thrown, before Azimio was growling out at the assmebled crowd "Get the fuck lost."

He was shocked to say the least. He had always thought that Azimio was a complete homophobe, would turn on him the moment he knew his secret, and had got him out the way as such. Trying to reconcile that with the scenario that had just taken place was making his head hurt even more than it already did, so he just stopped tyring and let himself slide down the lockers, his back colder than ever from contact with the metal. As he took a breath he tasted blood and, when he brought a hand to his lips, pulled it away to see red smeared onto it like someone had exploded a ketchup bottle on him. Feeling lightheaded again he rested his head onto the locker, careful not to let the tender part take too much weight, and closed his eyes softly.

Kurt unfroze from his position, still stood shocked by the fact that it was Azimio coming to Dave's rescue, and skidded towards him panicking, hoping that he hadn't blacked out as he came to rest at the bottom of the row of lockers. Hee knelt down beside him and hastily pulled out his hankerchief, dabbing at the jock's lip as the blood started to congeal and clot on it, hoping to get the worst of it off before it dried.

As Dave's eyes flickered open, one already swelling from the impact of the jock's punch, Kurt sighed in relief, positioning himself straddling Dave's legs so that he could reach his injuries properly as he tried to stem the bleeding. He ignored the hand that tried to half heartedly beat his away, and instead set one of his over Dave's on the floor as he finished his task. Sitting back, he locked eyes with the footballer, trying to ascertain whether he had any kind of concussion or a need for the nurse. Well, he definitely _should_ have needed the nurse, but Kurt somehow didn't think he would take kindly to having to go and see her.

"Kurt, what're you doing?" He muttered, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand and then flinching as he pressed to hard on one of the already bruising parts.

Looking at him questioningly, Kurt just pressed a quick kiss to his forhead is if doing it unconsciously and then stood, offering his hand to Dave as the jock struggled to push himself up off the floor. He grabbed it and hauled himself up, looking surprised at Kurt's strength, which made the soprano roll his eyes, but just as he was about to gently hug the smaller boy for his help, even if it hadn't been asked for, he felt a larger, stronger pair of arms tug him from Kurts grasp and he turned to face Azimio. Still unsure of why he had stopped the other jocks, Dave screwed up his eyes as he angled his face away from his best... well, his teammate, only to find himself being pulled into the hug that he himself had been planning on giving Kurt.

Kurt just gasped as he watched the two huge, muscled footballers hug each other as if it was no big deal and they weren't stood in the corridor of a homophobic high school in an extremely homophobic state. Dave pulled back to look his friend in the eyes and Kurt could see the insecurity, the panic in them as he opened his mouth to ask Azimio something.

Only he was cut off abruptly when the other boy spoke.

"Anyone else got a problem with Dave? No? 'Cause if you do, you bring it to me yeah? And you can see how much i like it just like those guys did."

As Dave gaped at his best friend (definitely his best friend!) the slightly taller of the two just clapped him on the back and then glanced over at Kurt, saying to Dave, "Dude, why the hell didn't you tell me?"

* * *

><p>He had managed to get out of the hallways after Az had shouted at some lingering freshman, but instead of going to lessons his friend had pulled him into the locker room and practically forced him to sit down on the bench, while he paced backwards and forwards in the narrow space, not saying anything for a long time.<p>

Dave was just starting to get worried that his friend had got the other guys off him just so that he could do something to him himself, even though he had seen his snarl at everyone in the corridor, when he spoke.

"Dave, dude, what the fuck?"

Oh shit.

"Look Az, if you have a problem with me then you can just go and-"

He was cut off by the sound of Az's spluttering as the jock stopped his pacing and turned to face him.

"A problem? Dude, the only problem i have is the fact that you're supposed to be my best friend and i had to find this out off fucking Tanner after he texted me a photo! What the hell?"

Dave could only gawp at the chunkily built guy stood in front of him, towering over him as he himself sat on the bench, as he tried to process what he was saying. Ducking his head, he toed his shoe on the ground and wrung his hands together, not consciously realising that he was shaking his leg until he heard Azimio's voice again echoing around the room.

He sounded annoyed as he said "Dave, are you gonna have a nervous breakdown on me or some shit, 'cause i ain't cut out for all that girly hugging and crying crap."

At that he had to laugh, tilting his head up as he snorted and watched Azimio's face change to something less angry and more amused as he gasped for breath. It hadn't even been particularly funny, but he couldn't stop laughing. Idly in the back of his mind he wondered if it was a manifestation of the shock of getting punched, or whether he actually did have a concussion, but as he started to calm down he just shook it off, finally meeting Az's eyes as the taller of the two looked down at him.

"I dunno Az, why _didn't_ i tell you? It wasn't like i as really expecting the warmest reception off you man, this entire school is full of homophobic jerks and you and me used to get Kurt all the time, before i grew a pair. I was so far in the closet at the start of this year that i was having turkish delight with Mr Tumnus, i hadn't even thought of telling anyone, so it wasn't top on my list of priorities to tell you on our football nights, or our video game marathons."

He watched as Azimio furrowed his brow in confusion, and then he shook his head as he spoke.

"No dude, it was _tea _with Mr Tumnus, it was the White Witch who-" He broke off as he saw Karofsky's confused face, "Never mind! Look, i agree with you on being up in the fucking river in Egypt, and i can figure how it wasn't really a video game comversation topic, but did you ever actually hear me saying anything overly homophobic Dave?" He asked sadly, sitting down next to his best friend on the bench as the former looked confused, then wary, then stunned.

He couldn't place exactly what the feeling was, but he did know for certain, now that he had had it so bluntly put to him by Az, he had never really heard the other boy utter any homophobic slurs, or use 'gay' as an adjective for anything he didn't like. He had always just assumed that Azimio hated him - people like him - even more than Dave had used to hate himself. Apparently he was wrong.

"Well... No dude, but we just did so much together that i assumed. Look i'm sorry man, i'm sorry i didn't tell you, but i was practically having an aneurysm every time i walked down the hallways, worrying that it was obvious, that everyone could tell. And especially the rest of the guys on the team Az, look what they just did to me." He help up his injured arm and morioned with the good one to the right hand side of his face at the huge bruise he knew was forming there, giving him a black eye to boot.

As his friend sighed they were both realising things that they had never know about the other.

But Dave still had more questions.

"What would you have done if i'd told you dude? Freaked the fuck out?"

Azimio shook his head, eyes narrowed ever so slightly again.

"'Course not. Man, i never told you this because i thought _you_ were the biggest homophobe ever to walk the hallways of McKinley, but my cousin's gay dude, i've known for years and he's the coolest guy i know. Apart from you." He shot him a quick half smile as Az nodded, "I haven't got a problem with him and i wouldn't have ever with you, y'know... i don't give a fuck who you wanna bone as long as you're a sound guy, and he is. You are too." Azimio slugged Dave on the shoulder as he said it, smiling at his friend.

Dave was stunned. Not only was his friend not beating him up but he'd just admitted that he wasn't homophobic at all, and actually didn't care if he was gay. He was surprised, and in a very good way, but there was still one thing that he wanted to know, that didn't make sense.

"Wait. Back the fuck up man, so you're down with me being gay, and you're gonna defend me to those assholes, yeah? Then why the hell did you come with me all those times when i was bullying Kurt, taking the piss? All those locker slams, slushies, you never said a word." He couldn't understand how their situations were different.

Azimio just sighed as he looked up at Dave, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"Dave, i'm not gonna pretend it didn't get me a little bit, what we were doing, but it wasn't so much that he was gay that pissed me off about him man, just his god damn fancy clothes, and the way he always walked around like he had a stick up his ass. Not that i blame the guy, not now i know that you're feeling the exact same way and that your bravado in the hallway was just that." He smiled awkwardly as Dave shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not meeting his eyes.

"But i suppose what really made me go along with it was you."

Dave was shocked. Sure, he had probably been the one that instigated some - okay, most - of the harassment, but he'd never seen any reason to believe that Az didn't want to. He had seemed fully compliant at all times, not like Dave was forcing him to do anything.

"Me? What did i do?" He asked, not demanding but just curious.

Az sighed again as he looked Dave in the eyes, saying "You're my best friend Dave, have been since third grade, and you're one of the only people i'm actually _really_ friends with at this school. I didn't want to loose you, so when you started to target Kurt i just went along with it, telling myself that he pissed me off with his outfits and that it was nothing to do with him being gay. I suppose i just blanked out that feeling of guilt i had knowing you were doing it because of that, and pretended he was just another guy you didn't like. It was so much easier that way, because i got to keep you as my best friend and not have to make decisions about it."

Turning to Dave, he was shocked to see his friends face etched with pain. Knowing that he had just done one of the hardest things he would possibly ever do, and that he was going to be taking one hell of a load of crap for the rest of school, he didn't even think about it before throwing his arms around Dave and hugging him again like he had done in the hallway, not caring if anyine came in to see it.

Dave was probably as startled as Azimio was when he felt strong arms wrap around his back, but he quickly recovered and hugged him back, throwing all his anguish and apologies and pain into it as he squeezed his eyes tight shut, trying not to think about all the times he could have stopped hurting Kurt, but not doing because he was scared of Azimio.

Pulling back, he said "Thanks man. I think i needed that. Just... I'm so glad we're friends, you know? I'm so glad that you didn't turn around and hit me like those guys did. Thanks Az."

At that, his friend stood up, turning and offering Dave his hand. He smiled at him, rolling his eyes when Dave offered a tentative one back, and then pulled him up off the bench, hauling him towards the door. As he went to open it his hand paused over the handle and he hesitated a moment, before speaking.

"Dude, Dave, i've always got your back, right. You know that?"

When Dave nodded his head he grinned again and asked his question a second time.

"You know that Dave?"

"Hell yeah Az." Dave half spoke half yelled, smiling in spite of himself at the after school special-ness of it all.

"Good. So let's go out there and look like we mean buisness, and i'm gonna be by your side every step of the way, 'kay?"

As Dave nodded again he reached for the handle properly and twisted it, opening it wide to the corridor. Stepping through he said "Show 'em who'd boss." with a smirk, and dissapeared, leaving Dave to follow and hoping he could stay out of any more fights.

* * *

><p>When he'd seen Dave dissapear through the locker room door with Azimio he sighed with relief, hoping from the way he'd reacted against the homophobes attacking Dave that he would be supportive and understanding.<p>

Kurt turned, still slightly dazed as the corridor quickly emptied out, only to be pounced upon byt two very confused and angry girls.

"Oh _hell_ to the no Kurt, you did not just make out with Dave Karofsky! Tell me please that i imagined it, that it was someone else, anything!" Mercedes blurted, waving her arms around as she tried to illustrate her point.

Kurt sighed again, having known that it would probably end up something like it had done, with Tina lookng too shocked to put her thoughts into words and Mercedes truning into a spitting, snarling lion about it. He wanted to explain it to her, but he was pretty sure, knowing she couldn't really imagine what Dave had been going through, that she would be less sympathetic based entirely on the fact that she couldn't be empathetic. However, he had to try.

He took a deep breath and started, not worrying about people overhearing because he corridor had completely emptied out thanks to Azimio's shouting.

"Well 'Cedes, i don't really expect you to understand, but yes, i was just making out with David Karofsky. And before you say it, the guy who bullied me for years, tormented me, stole from me and them threatened to kill me, yes i know. But he's changed Mercedes, Tina, and i truly believe that he has, and when he came to me asking for help i couldn't not give it."

As they both looked skeptical he quickly launched into the story of Dave's wanting to come out, and his bewilderment as to how exactly would be the best way, but didn't get all the way through before Tina was asking questions for the both of them.

"Kurt, hold on, so he came to you wanting you to help him come out as school, i get that. But how did you already know? I'm pretty sure he hadn't _told_ you before, and i don't remember anything that would have made you guess and confront him Kurt. Why didn't you say anything to us?" She tilted her head to the side, trying to understand.

He felt his stomach fill with something akin to butterflies as he tried to think of a way to answer the question truthfully without revealing the horrific first kiss. In the end, he just went for an abridged version of the truth to keep the confusion down.

"Well, you're right, he didn't really tell me, but facts are facts, i knew, let's leave it at that shall we? But the point is, tell you? Tina, that wasn't my secret to tell. If it was _anything_ about myself you would know in a heartbeat, but this? No one knew, and it was not my place to tell."

As he had been speaking both Tina and Mercedes had been looking more and more awkward and apologetic, and by the end they were both nodding along with what he was saying. Mercedes knew from when Kurt had come out to her that it was one of the most nerve wracking things ever, so who was she to question when he could tell her about something like that? She knew it wasn't right to be angry about that.

"Kurt, you're right, and i'm sorry for putting pressure on you boo, i shouldn't have. But that still doesn't explain how you went from helping him out to _kissing_ him! How did he... ?"

Her voice trailed off under the healfhearted glare from Kurt as he said "'Cedes, how come it's always him suggesting these things, if you must know this was the course of action _i_ suggested as the best way to come out. Quick, easy, and no one would disbelieve it. And you're not telling anyone to their face so they can't hit you, but i guess that one backfired." He mused, eyes dropping to the floor.

They both started at him, speechless for once about him suggesting it, so he took it as his cue to leave and just nodded and smiled at them, preparing to scramble away before they could ask anything else awkward about Dave's kiss and he ended up slipping. However, he just wasn't quite fast enough.

"Kurt, i suppose you were doing the honourable thing, but what about Blaine?"

Damn them.

That was the kicker wasn't it. Because try as he might have to justify their actions to Dave beforehand, he couldn't be completely sure about the reaction of his boyfriend. He was sure that he wouldn't mind, that he would know that Kurt waa just helping out a friend, but he knew that he hadn't checked.

He turned, facing them again, and plastered a smile on his face as he spoke to them, saying "Oh, don't worry about that. He knows i was just helping out a friend. Besides, i'm sure he would've done the exact same thing in his position."

Then he hugged them tightly and jogged quickly off to his lesson, stopping at the toilets on the way. Thankfully they were deserted, so he pulled his phone out as well to check for messages.

_You have thirteen new messages._

Okay, damn, lots of people wanted to tell him something.

Opening them, he found that the first one was spam off his phone network, the second was his father asking him if he could have a certain meal on the diet he was still on after his heart attack, and the rest were off people in glee.

All eleven of them, and he was pretty sure from scanning them that all of them were asking him some variation of 'What the hell?"

Sighing, and deciding that he really couldn't be bothered right at that moment, he began to delete them all one by one, right down to the last one. As he stopped to look at it, he realised that it was off Finn, and he opened his step-brother's message just out of curiosity.

**Dude, w.t actual hell? Did Karofsky jst kiss u? I thought u wer w/Blaine, wtf u doin to him Kurt? **

Touched by his brotherly protectiveness Kurt smiled, ignoring the text speak, but then realised what he was saying and frowned, wondering just what he had said to Blaine if he was thinking about him so clearly.

He had checked who sent the messages and none of them were off his boyfriend, so he was reassured, but just as he was putting his phone away it started to vibrate, indicating a phone call.

"Hello?" He sounded breathless even to his ears.

"Kurt? Kurt what the hell just happened? Did he force himself on you again, because i swear, i will come down there so fast, he wouldn't know what hit him! Are you okay, did anyone say anything, my god are you alright?" Blaine blurted, sounding panicked as he spoke.

Hastening to reassure his boyfriend, Kurt quickly said "Oh no, no it was nothing like that Blaine honestly, when i said that he had been much better these past few weeks i wasn't lying. He came to me asking for my help in coming out and well, that was it..."

As he trailed off he heard silence on the other end, and was worried for a fraction of a heartbeat, before a harsh, disgusted voice rang down the line.

"Oh, poor Karofsky, perfect, never _ever_ touched a little hair on your head Karofsky asks you a favour and you just jump when he says so, going through his hoops, never mind that you might have a boyfriend, i'm not important. What the hell were you thinking Kurt? Where was your brain when you agreed to his little scheme?"

Blaine paused to draw breath and Kurt was shocked. He had never seen such a vindictive, nasty streak in Blaine before, and he didn't know why, but it made some part of him want to scream and shout and yell profanities back at him.

"His little scheme? It was my idea so that he could come out as painfully and as quickly and as easily as possible, and i thought you'd respect that! I was helping out a friend, and i'm sure you'd do the same thing." He spat, his voice growing cold with anger as he paced aorund the bathroom, his strides quickening with every word.

Blaine apparently didn't like his reasoning, for Kurt could hear a hard laugh down the phone, and then he was saying "Friend? _Friend_? I bet you were with him on the side, getting your fix with him every day at school while i waited patiently for you to come and see me, never doubting you, course you weren't going to get in trouble, perfect little Kurt. What were you doing, blowing him like a good little-"

"Fuck you!" Kurt growled down the phone, surprised himself at the venom in his voice, before hanging up and wishing he was on the house phone so he could slam it down hard as he could.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and nearly fainted from shock as he turned around, white as a sheet, panicking about who it was. However, he relaxed a moment later when he saw it was Dave, standing behind him with a pained look on his face and looking as if he were about to cry.

"Kurt, i'm so sorry, i never meant to... I didn't want to... I'm sorry he..." He trailed off, looking at Kurt with expressive eyes, and it was all he could do not to hug the taller boy. When he saw his bottom lip start to tremble he did just that.

"Dave, don't you ever say sorry, this whole hting wasn't your idea, and it's his problem, not yours! I can deal with it later, we'll sort it out, he's just... frustrated i suppose. Don't feel bad about this, okay?" He said the last part leaning back and holding Dave's shoulders as he stared into his eyes, willing him to agree.

Dave shifted from foot to foot, then said "Okay, i suppose you're right. But Kurt, i don't ever want to be the reason you and... Blaine broke up, it's not me. I won't be a home wrecker."

Kurt just smiled sadly and said "I'm sure it'll be fine, but if it isn't, that still doesn't make you a home wrecker, understand?" Look, we'd better get to lesson, but just... Keep your chin up, stay strong. The can't bring you down no matter what they say."

He knew he was quoting song lyrics, but he didn't care. Especially not when Dave smiled as he said it, grinning and rolling his eyes. He quickly washed his hands and then walked to the door, smiling back over his shoulder at Dave as he went and hoping that the nervous expression on the jock's face wasn't because of him.

* * *

><p>This was it. The moment he had been dreading since his talk with Az in the locker room.<p>

He was sat outside his house in his truck, watching the minutes tick by on his clock and hoping that his parents couldn't see it, and weren't wondering what he was doing.

He had been trying to work up the courage to go inside and tell them he was gay for about twenty minutes, but every time he bottled it. Something to do with Kurt's presence earlier had kept him sane the last time, but without the petite brunette he felt like his world was caving in slightly every time he thought about it.

He closed his eyes once again and squeezed his eyelids tight, trying to convince himself that it would all disappear if he wished hard enough. But when it was still there when he opened them he knew that he couldn't sit around in his truck all night.

So, steeling himself and mentally preparing for all eventualities, hoping that screaming was kept to a minimum, he grabbed his keys from the ignition and opened his door, slamming it hard shut behind him and sprinting for the front door when he realised that it was raining, something he hadn't even noticed while he was hyperventilating in his truck.

He reached the front door and fumbled his key, nearly dropping it as he tried to get it in the lock, before finally managing it on his third try. Stepping through the doorway, he glanced into the hallway, relieved to find it deserted as he hung up his letterman and toed off his shoes, before padding down the hall.

However, just as he reached the first door, for the kitchen, the other one opened and a shadow appeared in the doorway, before his mom stepped out, closing the door softly behind her before she turned to him.

Supressing his panic, he swallowed again and started to speak just at the same time she opened her mouth, both saying the same thing.

"We need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Dun-dun-duuun... So yeah, sorry about the cliffhanger, i couldn't resist, and also i'm posting at 3.28am and i don't think i'd be awake to type any more. That said, all mistakes are mine and there will probably be a few spelling errors because i really am starting to get sleepy.**

**Sorry about the long time between updates, my other story caught up with me and battered me over the head with a 10,000 word chapter, but here i am again :)**

**So, i hope you liked it, let me know what you think? x**


	3. Chapter 3

**So... I'm epically sorry for the fact that this took so long, i got cought up in other fic and then RL decided to smack me over the head a little, but hey, here it is. Hope you like it anyways...**

**And i apologise in advance for any and probably lots of spelling errors, i tried to catch them but i was typing half of this at 4am and well, it wasn't pretty.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Over and out x**

* * *

><p>Four words.<p>

Four words and he could already tell that his whole life was about to change.

Because she was standing with her hands on her hips and glaring at him, hey eyes getting narrower and narrower as he continued to stand, frozen, in front of her.

And it was all he could do not to uproot himself from where he was stood and run, bolt out the front door and just sprint into the night and not look back, because he was pretty sure that he knew what she was going to say. He had seen that look in her eyes before as she had spat out harsh words about people she disapproved of, those who she didn't think deserved her respect or even her silence. She would mutter things at the television when celebrities she didn't like were on screen, and he remembered her being very vocal when Barack Obama was elected President. He had secretly thought that she was an idiot and had decided that if he ever got a chance to vote for or against him he would vote for, because supposed he'd liked the guy anyway and he hated it when he had to suffer through his mom's predjuces, even though his dad would normally chide her about it, or change the channel and tell her to be quiet and not talk about it.

However, he wasn't going to be scared of that look. He wouldn't run, because he wouldn't ever get the chance again if he did, and even though he knew the way it was going to go, he couldn't help holding on to the little bit of hope that she would be understanding.

Without uttering anything else she simply turned on her heel and storde back into their living room, inviting him to follow. He somehow regained the use of his legs and trailed after her on autopilot, eyes trained on her back as he stepped through the doorway and into the room, all the furnishings and knick-knacks looking so familiar and yet so different.

It was as if he was already seeing it as their house, their things. Not his, not any more.

His mother took a seat on the couch and motioned with a hand towards the chair that faced the front window. He gave a tight smile as he sat down, at first leaning back into it and folding his arms across his chest and then, under her malevolent gaze, leaning forwards to rest his elbows on his knees, his palms facing upwards as they cupped his chin.

"David, I'm sure you know why I want to talk to you."

He looked up at her and met her eyes, noticing for the first time the steely glint of malice in them as she levelly held his gaze.

"I'm pretty sure I do, but why don't you fill me in? Make sure we're on the same page."

He said the last bit with sarcasm, expression darkening as her glare intensified. He had no idea what had made him get cheeky with her, but he supposed that seeing as she already hated him it wouldn't really matter much. It was fun to do, which soother the ball of nerves in his stomach a little.

A few seconds passed and then she was digging in her purse as she started to speak again, her words taking on an edge as they went on.

"Well David, one of your friends was kind enough to send me a photo message today, and I was... _extremely_ concerned with its contents."

As he closed his eyes and mentally thought of about a million ways that he could kill all the members of the team who had his mom's number because of the stupid football phone tree thing, he could hear that her rustling had stopped, and he parted his eyelids to see her expression turn to one of disgust as she held out her phone towards him, a surprisingly detailed picture on the screen.

It was one of him and Kurt, obviously, from when he had started properly responding to Dave's kiss, his arms wrapping around his back as hie had gasped into Dave's mouth, and it was a pretty good representation of the moment that he knew, for _sure_ sure, that he was not only gay, but completely in love with Kurt Hummel.

And even when it was being shoved in his face with agression and anger he couldn't help smiling as he remembered the sensations and how good Kurt had fekt in his arms.

With the memories of his determination swirling around in his brain, he looked up from the phone that his mother was brandishing in his face and fixed her with a look of tenacity, because he knew that he wasn't going to back down.

"Yeah mom, I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about now. So go on, what did you want to say?" He riased an eyebrow like he had seen Kurt do, but he was about 99% certain that it wasn't as effective by half.

His mother's eyes narrowed even further as she pulled the phone back form in front of him, tossing it onto the couch as she leaned forwards and practically hissed "So it's definitely _you_ in that picture then?"

At that he rolled his eyes and just nodded, trying to keep his cool, as he heard her grind her teeth together and resisted the urge to tell her it was bad for the enamel like she alwas had whn he was a kid.

"What were you doing David, you're kissing that... that abomination!"

He saw red at that point, only just staying in his seat as he practically yelled "Kurt is _not_ an abomination. He's a fucking human being and he's actually one of the nicest, kindest, nost supportive people I've ever met."

"Oh, I'm sure he was _kind_ and _gentle_ and_ sweet_ when he was turning you into a-a-a _freak_ like him. Corrputing my poor innocent little boy, how dare he spread his perversion like that!"

"Mom, what are you suggesting? That he did some voodoo ritual and suddenly I want in his pants? I don't believe you're actually that stupid mom, I've always been like this! I'm gay, I like boys, and nothing you say to me is going to change that. It had nothing to do Kurt, and it still doesn't, he didn't _make_ me gay." He scoffed scornfully, his arms coming up to emphasise is point as he finished speaking.

He saw indecision flash in his nother's eyes for a secoond and then she was wearing a mask of stern kindness as she clasped her hands together on her lap and smiled at him.

"Dave, sweetie, you can stop playing now, you've gone a bit too far okay? I know it might have seemed like a fun joke when you and your friends decided to play it in school, but you're at home now and you should just drop it."

It took him a moment to comprehend that she was actually seriously insinuating that he was messing around, that he had been playing some sort of elaborate and crual joke or prank on Kurt at school, and that him coming out to her was just an extension of the ridiculousness.

He nearly growled it out as he said "Mom, listen to me! It wasn't a joke or a trick and that's really me in that photo and that's really _Kurt_, no one had photoshopped it or anything like that. I. Am. Gay. I kissed him and you know what? I want to do it again!"

At that his mother's serene expression melted away as if her last hope was gone (and he thought maybe it had) and she leapt up from the couch, his feet stomping on the floor as she shook her fist at him, her brown, curly hair flying everywhere as she shook with what he presumed was rage.

"You are NOT gay! No son of mine is a fucking fairy faggot, you hear me? You're gonna grow up and get a nice job and marry a nice, _Christian_ girl, give me and your father grandchildren to play with and look after. Not prance around in tights and... and sing and fucking kiss guys!"

He had never heard her swear before and it was that that nearly got him springing to his feet to confront her, but it was when she used that word, the f-word, the one that made him feel like a thousand knives were tearing at his gut, that pushed him over the edge, his rage propelling him forwards as he sprung across the room, all but screaming into her face as she finished her rant, her eyes hectic and hands flailing.

"I don't give a shit about your pretty little white-picket-fence views of my life, I'm gonna live it however the hell I want, with or without your permission!"

He had been yelling, but as he stepped closer his voice grew soft and quiet and dangerously low, as he spat out the words "And if you ever, _ever_ use the word fag again, you're going to have to watch out, because it's disgisting and sick and hateful and spiteful, and makes you a lot of the things that you seem to think something _perfectly natural_ makes me and Kurt."

He leaned away from her face in time for her to blow up at him like he knew she would, and he was glad he had done when the spit started flying from her mouth because she was so enraged.

"How dare you threaten me in my own home young man, and call your perverted feelings natural! You're a sinner and I hope you burn in hell David, I can't even bear to look at you right now." She paused for a few deep breaths before she continued, her chest heaving up and down as she said "You and your deviation won't be staying under my roof even one night longer, get your ass out my house NOW!"

Seeing that she would probably start throwing things if he didn't move, he shot her a glare so cold it could freeze penguins and walked towards her, his hands clenching into fists as he walked. He was close to her before he spoke, leaning in like she had to him.

"Fine. I don't want to be in the same house as someone who won't accpet me for who I am anyway. Bye mom."

And with that, not looking back at her, he walked out the door, breaking into a sprint up the stairs towards his room as his carefully controlled mask of anger and determination broke down, the cracks showing through as tears started to make themselves known.

Before long he found himself standing in the centre of his room, a bag at his feet as he threw clothes haphazardly into it, not caring about the items which fell short or overshot, ending up on the floor. His tears were streaming thick and fats and he could hardly see through them, chocking back sobs as he tried to calm himself down, to no avail.

It seemed to have hit him, standing in the room he had called his own from birth, spent seventeen years in, decorated the walls of with posters and pictures, that he was actually being thrown out. His own mother was kicking him out the house for being gay, for being something that he had only recently come to accept that he couldn't change.

His legs gave out beneath him and he sat down on his bed with a thump, face falling into his hands as heleant forwards, the tears drying up slightly but only giving way to heart-wrenching sobs that wracked his whole body.

He didn't know how long he spent there, curled up on his sheets as he sobbed, but it seemed like hours had passed when he heard raised voices again, argumentative and loud, until they were shouting at each other and he could hear what they were saying clearly.

With a jolt he realised that it was his mother and father's voices, that his dad had got home from work early.

"He's our son Mabel, our son! What do you mean, you can't live with him?"

His head rose at his father's question, wondering what he meant by it, daring to hope that he was defying his wife.

"Paul he's _gay_!" She screeched it with an inflection that made it sound like some sort of disease, the disgust in her tone obvious, "How can you stand there and defend him?"

"I _know_ he's gay, I have for a while, and I don't _care_! He's my son and I'm not letting you throw him out of our home for something he has no control over, whether you and your christian friends like it or not. I can't believe I ever actually thought you could change, I should have done this _years_ ago!" His father let out an aggrivated sigh and from his perch on the bed he could he stomping footsteps and the click of a door opening.

It was his mother's voice that he heard next, ringing through the house.

"I don't care what you say, I an not sleeping in the same house as that abomination, so you'd better get him out or go with him!"

With that, he heard a door slam, the crash resounding throughout as he grabbed his bag, tear tracks drying still on his face as he threw his own door open, dragging it down the stairs and towards his father.

The older Karofsky looked up as he heard footfalls, and met the eyes of his only son in dispair, Dave's pain showing even through the mask that he had struggled to pull back up.

"I'm proud of you you know. Not many people would have stood up to her like she said you did. And I'm truly sorry it's come to this. I do't think there's any way to change her mind, and she's set on wanting you out, but... Dave, you are NOT going to have to leave. Not forever. There's no way I'm letting her throw you out into the street like this and just leave you."

The rest of whatever he was going to say was cut off as Dave dropped his bag and lunged at him, wrapping his arms tightly around his father as he hugged hhim, the mask breaking once agan as tears threatened, though he was thankful none came.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, and for believing in me and for... How did you know?"

He pulled back, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt as he did so.

His dad reached out to touch his shoulder and looked at him kindly, saying "A father always it was they bullying Kurt that really gave it away. I hated seeing you like that, knowing you were hating yourself and becoming so self destructive, as well as hurting an nnocent and wonderful young man. But the way you've turned things around, that's another reason I'm proud of you David."

As he removed his hand, stepping back to look over his shoulder at the still closed door of the living room, Dave realised that even with his father in his corner, she wouldn't let him stay in the house.

"Dad, I'm still going to have to go. Somewhere, anywhere, because you know she meant it."

Closing his eyes, Paul said "I know son, I know. But I meant it when I said you're not leaving forever. Go to a friends house for tonight, find somewhere to sleep, and phone me tomorrow. I'm filing for divorce as soon as I can, and the house is in my name, so she can't touch it. She's the one who's going to have to move out, you just wait. But... for tonight there's nothing I can do."

He wrapped his arms softly around his dad, not squeezing him tight like the last time but just holding him as he mumbled "Thank you Dad." into his shoulder, too upset to say it to his face.

Then, releasing his grasp, he turned backwards and grasped the handles on his bag, wrenching it up and hauling it onto his shoulder as he turned to face the doorway, his father moving aside so he could reach it.

"I'm so sorry Dave, I really am. I'll talk to you in the morning."

With one last look at the hallway, Dave moved to the door, grasping the handle tightly and pulling it open. He stepped through, casting his eyes backwards, and then nodded to his dad as he sthut the door, before running down their driveway and onto the sidewalk, his heels clacking on the concrete slabs as he went.

He wrenched open the door of his truck, throwing the bag inside, before climbing in himself, telling himself that he couldn't break down, couldn't cry again, because at least now he knew he should have the home to come back to.

Starting the enine, he pulled away from the kerb, deciding he could decide where to go later on.

* * *

><p>He'd been driving around Lima aimlessly for about half an hour before he recognised the street he was on and realised that his subconscious had directed him to Azimo's house. The place where he'd spent quite a few middle school nights lounging about and then high school nights playing computer games and talking football and hockey, eating Mrs Adams out of house and home at the same time.<p>

As his truck pulled up to the kerb outside his best friend's house he could see the drawn curtains and the light streaming through them from the inside, making the whole house glow. That was what a proper family house should be like, happy and warm. Not cold and echoing with shouts from their last fight.

It was then that he realised that the tears had never properly stopped, merely declined to a much more snail-like rate, leaking from the corners of his eyes every so often as he thr=ought about everything that had happened that day.

He scrubbed furiously at the traitor tears, his sleeve still damp from the last time he had excecuted such a move, and then reached for the handle, grasping it firmly as he swung the car door open, stepping down from thew cab and then reaching back in to grab his bag from the passenger seat.

Hauling it out, he slammed the door shut, hoping that the loud noise wouldn't wake anyone, though he didn't really think it was _that_ late, and then locked the truck. Glancing around him, he started to make his way up the driveway, past Az's car and his parents', before stepping into the glow pooling at his feet as he came in line with the windows, somehow feeling warmer himself as he was bather in golden light.

Reaching the door he closed his eyes tight, breathed in and out once, twice, and then reached out a hand and rang the doorbell, nearly falling over a plant pot as he jumped backwards, scared by its loud chimes.

Footsteps sounded on a wooden floor, Az's mom's pride and joy (he remembered her telling him the first time he was over after they'd had them done 'Don't scuff the floors Davey!') and then the door was flung open and he found himself staring down at the woman herself. He towered over her, and it had always puzzled him how someone so short had ended up producing Az, but he just put it down to the fact that his dad was about ten feet tall.

However, he didn't care at that moment how small she was, because she had always been wonderful to him and all he wanted at that moment was just to throw himself into her arms and hig her like he should have been able to hug his own mother.

"Davey honey, what's wrong?"

But he couldn't answer.

All he could do was stand and watch as her face went from mildly concerned to distressed as she wached Dave's face crumple.

She immediately did what he had been hoping for all along and stepped over the threshold, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside as she closed the door behind him and then wrapped her arms tightly around him, pulling him into one of her tight hugs that he had loved so much in his childhood. Even though the top of her head only came up to his chin she had a grip that would make grizzly bears jealous and he was suddenly sobbing in her arms, his teard falling into her hair as yet another set of footsteps sounded on the wooden floor.

He looked up and saw Az jog into the hall, his friend taking one look at him and runnign over to them as Dave turned his face away, ashamed that Az had seen him crying. He had sworn that he wasn't going to again and then here he was, bawling in Azimio's hallway like a little girl.

"Dave man, what the hell?"

It wasn't said with anger but concern and he breathed in a deep breath, forcing himself to control his emotions before he looked up at Az again.

"She knew."

Detatching himself from Mrs Adams' arms he stepped back and shook his head, trying to make himself look less of a crybaby and more of the guy who he was supposed to be, the one who could terrify the bejesus out of random freshmen with one look.

When Az just walked towards him and then stood a few feet away, the look on his face like he wasn't really sure what to do, he repeated himself, for want of anything else to do.

"She knew. Went mental. Man, it was like I didn't even know who she was anymore."

At that Az had to do something, so he pulled Dave into a 'bro' hug, one hand slapping him on the back before stepping backwards, yet closer than before and looking possibly more murderous than he had that afternoon when he had stood up to Sanderson and those assholes.

He ran a hand through what little hiar he had and then said "How the hell'd she know man, who told her?"

At that Dave had to grind his teeth, his hands curling into fists again without him noticing.

"Some _dickhead_ on the team had sent her a fucking photo! They've got her munber because of the stupid football phone tree shit, and one of them fucking took a picture of me kissing Kurt and sent it to her. It was like they _knew_ she would go off on one like that." He said, closing his eyes and reminding himself that the Adams' probably wouldn't thank him for smashing any of their pictures of furniture.

It seemed Az had the same response as he practically growled out "Fuck them. I'm gonna find out who it was tomorrow Dave, you'd better count on that."

Nodding his head to show his appreciation, he felt a small hand on his arm and looked around to see that Mrs Adams - god, he really should remember to call her Nora, she always told him off for calling her that - smiling softly at him.

"Dave, honey, I've got to get back in there before they start to tear each other apart, but you can stay and talk to Azimio if you want, okay?"

Then she was gone, a small, sympathetic smile on her lips as she flitted back through the first door on the left off the hallway, the one he knew from mulitple visits was the living room.

"They?" He asked Az weakly as he realised belatedly that they had company.

His friend nodded, saying "Yeah, my cousins are up for the weekend."

Before Dave could say anything else Az stopped smiling and rested a hand on his shoulder again, saying "What the hell happened after you went home though dude? You said she went mental, she throw you out or some shit? What about your dad? I thought he was pretty cool."

That was when Dave had to sit down. He leaned against the wall and let his legs give out, sliding down it with his back in contact with the cool wallpaper, until he was sat on the wooden floor. It only took him a few seconds to realise that Az had sat down with him.

"Yeah, she screamed at me that I was an 'abomnation'," He spat out the word harshly, just as she had, "And then said that she wouldn't be in the same house as me any more, and that I should get out."

"Oh shit Dave, I knew she was a bitch but that's... that's fucking harsh!"

He just looked over at his friend and shrugged, saying "Yeah, but it's just the same as Sanderson and all those guys think isn't it? I couldn't live with lying to myself and everyone else any more, I wanted to be strong, to be proud just like Kurt, and I still do, but there's still about half the county out there who think's I'm a sinner, that I'm going to hell."

It seemed like Az didn't really know what to say to that, so he looked down at his hands as he continued, "My dad came home just as I was packing," He indicated the bag at their feet, near the door where he had dropped it as he was dragged in the door by Nora, "and ended up in a row with mom. He was actually defending me, I can't tell you how glad I was to hear that, how much I love hm for standing up to her over it."

"But... you're still here." Az said, confused.

Dave chuckled humourlessly, looking up again.

"Yeah, she was still insisting that I had to leave, and then she stprmed off into the licing room and all but fucking barricaded herself in. He... he didn't know what to do. He asked me to go stay with a friend while he tried to get things sorted. Said he was filing for divorce in the morning, and that I'd be back in the house as soon as he could manage, but she was being stubborn. It was just easier to go. So here I am."

As Az stiffened slightly beside him he noticed the apologetic look in his eyes and heard the ruckus start up again in the other room, much like it had been when he'd been stood on the porch outside. He knew that there was no way, no room for him to stay while Az's cousins were over, he's met them before and knew just how many of them there were. Hell, he doubted if _they_ could all fit inside the small house, let alone with him there too.

Patting Az on the shoulder he eased himself up off the floor and then stuck out a hand to help his friend up, yanking him up off the floor as they both staggered back slightly. Laughing for the first time in what felt like forever, he smiled at Az, nodding his head towards the closed door.

"Dude, I know there's no room. Don't feel bad about it, there's no way you could have ever planned it like this or anything, you had no idea. And they _were_ here first. Az, I can go somewhere else."

He nearly missed the flash of pain in Az's eyes as he too looked towards the door, but he was sure it was there.

"Dave, I'm really sorry y'know? About all of this, those guys at school and your mom and then not having room for you to stay here. I really wanna help, but there's just so many of them and... Where are you gonna go?"

Knowing that Az wouldn't let him go if he knew that he actually wasn't sure, he lied, hoping that his friend wouldn't see through it.

"I think my dad's friend might let me kip on his couch or something, he's a pretty good mate to dad and I've known him for years. I'll be okay."

He sighed quietly as Az nodded, knowing that he'd fooled him sufficiently, and then just wrapped one arm awkwardly around him, saying "Thanks dude. And tell your mom that too, okay? She's pretty cool."

Okay, so she was more than pretty cool, but spilling his guts about how she was the mom he'd never really had was too far in the cryfest that the night had become. So he just smiled as Az promised to tell her, and then picked up his stuff, exchanging one last look with his friend before he sayd a quiet "Bye man." And opened the door, stepping outside into the dark evening and heading down the path.

He knew without looking back that Az would be at the door, but he didn't want to ruin anything so instead of running back and hugging him properly he just got back into his trck and waved faintly as he drove off.

* * *

><p>He hadn't been lying when he had said that he didn't know where to go.<p>

Anyone on the football team was out really, and the hockey guys were even worse and would probably be waiting for him with slushies as soon as he stepped in school the next day, so they were one huge big nono.

He supposed the only people he could really see being anything like supportive to him were the Glee kids. Which was an... interesting thought but he'd have to run with it.

Berry was out even if her two dads would probably be okay with it, because she annoyed him quite a lot and he'd been pretty much a dick to her anyway, so he didn't feel like she'd welcome him with open arms.

Chang and Puckerman probably wouldn't shut the door in his face but he didn't fancy tangling with Mike's mom and he knew that Puck didn't really have room. He didn't really feel like he could go to any of the girls houses either, because he didn't really _know_ any of them.

Apart from Santana.

Thinking that maybe he'd had a breakthrough he pulled out his phone, punching in Santana's number and praying for her to pick up while he listened to it ring.

"Hey bitch-"

"Santana thank god-"

"If you don't know what to do after the beep then I really can't help you."

"Shit!"

He'd got her voicemail and he knew what that meant. She was either with someone, or Brittany had finally realised what she was missing and let Santana be happy for once.

Because sure Santana was a bitch, and she had probably earned the moniker 'Satan' ten times over, but she had been nothing but great to him and he had found that their pseudo relationship had actually turned into a proper friendship. If he wasn't gay and she wasn't a lesbian then he totally would have been in love with her.

Y'know, instead of Kurt.

Shit! Kurt!

Of all the people in Glee, he had completely forgotten the one person that he knew would let him stay the night, kip on the couch, whatever, because his mom had kicked him out. Because he knew Kurt, somehow, and had kinda become his friend, and he was sure that he wasn't the kind of person who shut the door in people's faces.

He stuck his truck in reverse, driving arounf the streets over the speed limit as he treid to remember where to go, knowing that the large house that he had - and he hated himself for it - egged and teepee'd in the past was somewhere nearby.

He spotted it down the street he had turned onto and smiled slightly as he coasted to a stop outside it, sure then that it was definitely the right one.

Now all he had to do was get out of the truck.

Which was proving difficult.

He was having a hard time convincing his body to get up and out the cab, to walk up the drive to _that_ house, to knock on the door and possibly have_ that_ boy answer it.

But, closing his eyes and counting to ten, he took a deep breath and flung open the door, practically running up the path as he dragged his bag with him. He reached the front door and raised his hand to knock, only to have it hover in the air, frozen, as if he had just realised who else might answer the door.

Burt.

The guy who slammed him into a locker and scared the complete shit out of him and made him think that he should probably run if he ever did anything that made him that angry ever again. He definitely reminded him of a bear. And not the teddy kind.

But he knew, in his heart, that he had no where else to go. And he hoped that Kurt would stand up for him too.

So he swalloed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat and knocked, loudly, on the door.

And for the third time that night he heard footsteps on a wooden floor and then the door was being swung open and golden light was pouring out from the within, creating an aptly glowing halo around the figure silhouetted with in it.

"Hey Kurt."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, i know, cliffhanger again, but the next chapter will be the rest of Kurt's day up to this point, so you'll have to wait a while for the next bit anyways...**

**Chuck a couple of reviews my way? x**


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